Category: Musings

FAQs About Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV)

The Stigma of FIV 

Dispelling the Myths

I sat down this morning to do some technical work on our website and back office databases, but this came from my fingers instead.

I wanted to share my most recent experience, both for education, and to show how Imagine Home has helped me.  I will ask for your forgiveness beforehand as I tend to get a little wordy.  I promise it will be worth it, just hang in there.

First, a bit of background about how I came to be part of Imagine Home.  Three words:  Jack the Cat.  To this day I don’t know why, but I was selected from Jack’s page to be one of the first members of a wonderful team of ladies helping kitties.  That team has evolved into the current Imagine Home you see today.  I didn’t always rescue kitties.  I always loved them, but never thought of giving of my time to help, and had no idea of the sad state of animal welfare in this country as a whole.  It took a severe bout of depression to lead me to seek an outlet to help save myself.  That outlet came in the form of volunteering at a local 501(c)(3) rescue.  FYI:  VolunteerMatch is a GREAT place to find opportunities for helping in your area.  Then I started following cats on facebook, and found myself watching and following, like with thousands of others, the search for Jack the Cat. The rest, as they say, is history.

I have 4 cats (really 3 and a foster) and flea control is always a problem.  Hugo was born a barn cat and would simply “die” of frustration if he was never allowed outside.  He regularly wrecks screens to get there and will whine for hours if he does not get his way. He never goes far, always coming back in to check where I am, or to use the litter.  No, he will not use the outside as a litter box to save his life, go figure.  Of course I am always diligent about putting flea medication on him year round. But any OTC or vet-prescribed medication gets expensive when you have multiple cats, so I am not so diligent about keeping flea control on the other three (yeah, I’m not perfect, please don’t judge).  What I didn’t count on was my great hunter Hugo bringing me “gifts”.

Hugo snuck in a dead mole while I wasn’t watching and voila! Suddenly the cats are all infested with fleas.  I did the usual spraying of the floors and under furniture with carpet spray killer and treated the kitties with my preferred brand of Advantix.  Fleas all gone.  Unfortunately I missed a few because before I knew it, suddenly they were back with a vengeance.  It was time for another round of meds for all of them, so off to the pet store I went.  Surprisingly they were out of the product I usually use, so I took some time looking at the other brands and remembering all I had heard about each brand.  I also took into account the brands my shelter uses.  I ended up going with Capstar pills.  I had always heard good things about their product and had no reason not to trust it.

Back home and dinnertime.  I put the Capstar in food for all the kitties. Let’s just say I value my skin enough to not want to have to manually give some of them pills.  There, that was done and I thought nothing more of it.  Fast forward a half hour, I am sitting on my couch and Skyla comes to sit beside me.  Only she is panting.  And her eyes are glazed.  Instant panic mode, ya think?  I checked her out a bit more and it looked like she had been given a few shots of caffeine, her heart was racing, she was panting, her eyes were glazed and fully dilated, and she started scratching and almost chewing off her skin.  I heard a grunt, and looked over to see Hank in the same predicament.  A quick check of the other two and they seemed a bit wired, but not like my “grey patrol”.

The very next thing I did was post in our Imagine Home office what was going on.  Within seconds, the other admins were on the net doing research for side effects and finding poison control center phone numbers.  Yes, most of this is already on my refrigerator, but I was not quite thinking clearly.  I also knew sharing with the other admins would make me feel less alone in my terror, and the more eyes the quicker things get done.

• Capstar Customer Service Hotline:  1-800-332-2761
• Animal Poison Control 1-800-939-0936 

Of course I have already sent a pic of the product batch to my shelter to see if they have any in their inventory.  I will also be calling CapStar as soon as they open, to report this and determine if they have had other reports.

I am extremely lucky to have one of the best vets in the world.  They are less than a mile from my house and are 24/7 on call.  Within 20 minutes of my initial call to them, Hank and Skyla were with me at the clinic being checked by the vet. If I remember correctly, the last emergency I had (sadly, the euthanasia of my sweet Annie after her multiple stokes paralyzed her) was less than 10 minutes from my call to their exam, that is how good they are.  My next phone call was to the director of my shelter for her experiences with Capstar.  Hank and Skyla came from there so the director has known and cared for them both since they were babies.  Meanwhile our admins have found all sorts of articles about Captsar and the symptoms my kitties were showing, poison control centers, natural flea remedies, and a host of other information.  The final result was definitely a bad reaction to the Capstar, although strangely enough, the symptoms usually only show up in dogs, it is extremely rare to find in cats.  My vet commented how shocked she was to see not only one case, but two in the same household (not related).  The vet said they would be fine within 12 hours and gave them both a mild sedative to help calm them. Within an hour of getting home, both kitties were calming down and almost back to normal.  The only good thing I can say is at least the fleas were all dying in droves!!

There is a moral to this story somewhere, and take from it what you will, but here is what I took from the whole experience:  I would not have made it through the evening without my litter sisters (the Imagine Home admins) right beside me the whole way.  Our bond has gone beyond saving kitties to a full fledged support system.  I feel so privileged to be a part of this group, and hope you enjoy all of our efforts as much as we do.  Right now it seems we only do transport, but it is what we know and do well.  Our ultimate goal at Imagine Home is to be a one stop place for just about everything kitty.  Our website is in the works, and our CafePress store should be available within the next few weeks.

What will you do when your kitties are suddenly sick?  Do you have a 24 hour on-call vet? Do you have friends you can call to help? Do you know how to find out what is causing it?

Imagine Home can be one of your sources. It’s what we do – for the kitties. <3

We see it all the time.  Owner died, had to go to a nursing home, moved….and family doesn’t want to (or can’t) keep kitty.  Beloved pets end up dumped in a shelter – depressed, confused and frightened.  Their fate hangs in the balance.

I am currently indentured by two amazing furballs, Molly and Drake. They let me share a home with them in exchange for food, water, playtime and love.  I work a job that often puts me in dangerous situations.  I do what I can to make sure I get home safely every day, but I can’t guarantee that.  The reality is that none of us can guarantee that we’re coming home when we leave the house each day.  (Sorry to be so morbid, there really is a point to all of this).  I’ve often given a half-hearted thought to what would happen if I didn’t make it home one day, but haven’t done much about it.  In a few weeks, I’m scheduled to have surgery.  Nothing out of the ordinary, but it involves anesthesia and an overnight stay in the hospital.  This made me start thinking a little bit more seriously about the need to have a plan in place for my kitties if anything were ever to happen to me.

I talked to my dad.  My first question “if anything ever happens to me, will you take care of my kitties?”  His response?  “Nothing’s going to happen to you.”  *sigh*  I think this may be why people don’t make plans for their furbabies.  People just don’t want to talk about it.  But, I pressed on because I believe it’s necessary.  “Dad, you know that anything could happen to any of us at any time.  I need to know that Molly and Drake will be cared for if that happens. Will you keep them and care for them or do I need to make a list of people you can call for help?  I DO NOT WANT THEM TO END UP IN A SHELTER!!”  Thankfully, he agreed to care for them, at least in the short term, and not send them to a shelter.

I am still planning to make a list of names/numbers that he can contact in case it becomes to much for him (he’s not exactly a spring chicken, you know?).  Both of my kitties have special dietary needs and tend to visit the vet a little more than your average furbaby.  As much as he loves Molly (he and Drake really haven’t bonded), I’m not sure that he’ll be able to deal with her needs in the long term.  And, as I said, he and Drake haven’t really bonded.  Drake hasn’t really bonded with anyone but me and my special male “friend” (which cracks me up because my friend isn’t really a fan of cats, but Drake LOVES him!).  I have no problem with him splitting the two of them up – and I’m sure they wouldn’t mind either.  They spend a good part of their day fighting with each other.  I’ve resigned myself to the fact that they will never love each other, but am thrilled when they manage to at least tolerate each other.  But, I digress, back to my point.

I have talked to a couple of friends and other family members (and still have more that I want to talk to about this) and asked about their willingness to be Godparents to my babies.  I want to be able to leave a list of names and contact information for my dad so that he has people that he knows he can call if he can’t keep my babies.  A group of trusted folks that I know will be willing to help find the best homes; homes that will give my babies the love that they deserve if I’m not here to do it myself.  I’m fortunate to be a part of this amazing group (Imagine Home) that loves kitties as much as I do, so I don’t think there will be any issue with my babies being cared for, but I still need to give my dad a concrete plan.  One less thing he has to try to figure out on his own if he’s already trying to deal with the fact that something happened to me.

I’m also putting together a biography of each of my babies.  Who better to describe their personalities, quirks and habits than me?  If my babies need to find new homes, their prospective new slaves (um, I mean parents) need to know what they’re getting.  For example, Drake would probably be best suited to be in a home alone.  He’s very territorial and seems to actually get jealous when Molly is getting attention.  They’re both on prescription diets and are both fed a specific amount of food at specific times during the day (yes, I revolve my schedule around theirs!).  Drake loves catnip, Molly isn’t really a fan.  I could go on and on and on.  Things I plan to include in their bios:  Current vet information (my vet actually has an online “portal” that they use to keep pet info up to date, so I’ll include that website and user/password information); medical conditions (including any past experience with giving meds- ie, pills, liquids, etc…); current dietary information (what food they  eat, where I buy it, how much they eat and how often, any treats); litter box information (how many, where they are, what kind of litter they prefer); playtime (what kind of toys they like/don’t like, playtime rituals); personality information (ex:  Molly isn’t a snuggler, Drake gets jealous, etc…); names and contact information of people who are willing to help if they need to find new homes (include the type of help they’re willing to provide – fostering, adopting, etc..)

I’m wondering what your plan is for your kitties (or yes, even the silly doggies) should something unexpected happen to you.  You can share that information in comments here.  Eventually, I’d like to put it all together and add it to the resources we have on the Imagine Home facebook page (and ultimately the website).

<stef>

(By the way, the kitty at the top is Elliot, who has made himself very comfortable in his new home with Admin Linda – here he is today)

Following is Colleen’s chronicle of her first transport – we’re excited and honored that she chose to do her first with Imagine Home.  We’re even more excited to have Colleen tell you the story herself.  Like what you see?  Check out Colleen’s personal blog here: https://colleenfishter.wordpress.com/

<stef>

PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT WHAT FOLLOWS IS MY OPINION AND MY OPINION ONLY.  THESE WORDS DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE OPINION OF IMAGINE HOME.  I AM ONLY PUBLISHING THIS UNDER THE IMAGINE HOME BLOG BECAUSE, QUITE FRANKLY, IT WOULDN’T MAKE SENSE TO ANYONE READING MY PERSONAL BLOG.  I’M ALSO NOT PROOFREADING BECAUSE I WILL END UP REWRITING AND LOSING WHAT I REALLY WANT TO GET OUT THERE, SO PLEASE EXCUSE ANY TYPOS. IF ANYONE DISAGREES WITH THE CONTENT OF THIS POST, PLEASE CONTACT ME DIRECTLY.  MY PERSONAL EMAIL IS IMSLINKEE@MSN.COM AND I’M ON FACEBOOK AS STEFANIE CELESTE.

I will never forget the moment I heard that Luigi had escaped transport – I was standing at the paint counter at Home Depot waiting for them to mix my color when I decided to look at Facebook on my phone.  I felt like I’d been kicked in the stomach.  It would all I could do to fight back the tears.  I knew that losing it in a public place certainly wasn’t going to help Luigi at all.  I got my paint, paid for all my stuff, went out to my car and I cried.  I cried for Luigi, I cried for the transporter who was devastated, I cried for his foster mom – I cried for all of us.

At this point, it really doesn’t matter how it happened.  Knowing how it happened isn’t going to help in getting him back on the road to his foster home.  It’s kind of a heart attack, you don’t have to know what caused it to treat it.  Yes, you need to know what caused it to prevent it from (hopefully) happening again, and that is being addressed.  But constant berating, belittling and blaming isn’t going to change the fact that Luigi jumped out of the car and we need to find a way to get him back.

I’ve kind of been watching everything unfold from the sidelines.  This whole thing, along with a bunch of stuff happening in my personal/professional life right now, has me paralyzed.  I have been adhering to the “if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything” adage.  I have so much going on outside of Facebook that I haven’t been able to sleep, have barely been able to do my job without having emotional meltdowns and am barely hanging on by a thread.  In order to save myself, and save others from unnecessarily being dragged down with me, I have “shut down” in a way.

When I have ventured on to Facebook/Twitter, I have not liked what I have seen.  I have watched friends be attacked from all sides for what they are, or are not doing, to help.  I have seen posts on various groups on Facebook that, if the people spouting off were in the same room with the recipients of the harsh words, I’d bet would NEVER be uttered.  The internet and social media gives us a feeling of bravery, of invincibility of, whatever.  We feel like we can say what we want, when we want, any way we want.  We forget that, even if we don’t mean to sound rude or ignorant, our words on a screen can come across that way to the person on the other side.  We forget that we cannot have an argument with ourselves – it takes two (or more, in this case) to tango.  We take sides.  We defend the people that we are friends with, sometimes even when they’re in the wrong.  I’ve been “unfriended” by some, simply because of my association with others (and I’m sure I’m not the only one).

While we do all of this, one thing is certain.  There is a kitty who is lost and who needs ALL of us to work together to find him – if he chooses to be found.  As humans, we have opinions – we think we know what needs to be done, how it needs to be done, who needs to do it and when.  As humans, we also have an inherent nature to disagree with each other, and to think that OUR way is the best way.  As humans, we also have the ability to communicate and to work through those differences – if we choose to do that.  So far, I haven’t seen that.  I’ve seen a continual barrage of “you’re not doing this, you’re not doing that, you have to do what I want, you’re wrong, blah blah blah”  And then we delete, ban, unfriend, whatever….the people we don’t agree with.  Would we be doing that if we were face to face with each other?  Do we ban, delete, unfriend the people in our “real lives” (vs. Facebook friends) when we disagree with them or with something they’re doing?  (I hope not, because if so, that defeats the purpose of what I’m trying to say).

WE ARE BETTER THAN THIS!!!  LUIGI DESERVES SO MUCH MORE THAN WHAT WE’RE GIVING HIM!!!  Don’t get me wrong – I’m not taking anything away from the efforts that have been made.  I know that people aren’t eating, not sleeping, driving miles upon miles to set feeding stations and checking traps, posting fliers, talking to locals, contacting vets, sharing widely on facebook (I apologize if I miss anything that has been done).  But what’s NOT happening is communication and cooperation.

If you’re at work and someone does something or says something you don’t like, do you call them out in public, in front of everyone, and question them about it?  I’m guessing no, because I know if I did that at my job, I’d be looking for another one very quickly.  I’m guessing that you either address it privately with the “offending” individual or bring it up to a supervisor so that they can address it privately.  If your family member or loved one says something you find offensive or rude, do you just assume that you’re right and they’re wrong and disown them from your life?  Or do you take some time to clarify what they meant  and work out the differences?  Why can’t we take the same approach in our facebook lives????

I’m sorry I’m rambling – I’m just so beaten down and frustrated.  I’m walking around on the verge of tears 24/7.  I’m helpless to do anything productive to help find Luigi.  I feel like I failed Luigi by not making the 5 1/2 hour trek to Virginia the minute I heard it was missing.  Yes, I’m human too.  In my heart I feel like I could have done something to make a difference.  In my head, I know that’s probably not the case.  But my head isn’t doing a good job of telling my heart that, my heart is broken by this whole situation.  Broken by Luigi’s escape, broken by the actions and words that have torn so many people apart (so many good people who, in better times really have the same goals) and broken by the fact that I know there is absolutely nothing more I can do.  All of this animosity and hostility  is doing NOTHING to help Luigi.

To those who are close enough and have been able to be on the ground in the area – baiting traps, setting up cameras, passing out posters – I thank you from the bottom of my shattered heart.  Please know that I’d be there with you if I could (as would alot of other people I’m sure) and I appreciate everything that you are doing to help this little boy find his way back to where he needs to be.

To everyone working hard on the internet (Facebook, Twitter, etc…) I thank you from the bottom of my heart for doing everything you can to keep Luigi’s face out there in public.  We’ve seen how sharing can help bring a positive outcome to many situations.

To all of us, I admire the human heart and human spirit.  I implore us all to take a look at ourselves.  To think before we type.  To focus on one thing and one thing only…

FIND LUIGI

Facebook is an amazing thing.  Yes, there are days that I would love to just deactivate my account and go back to that simpler time when my iPhone wasn’t surgically attached to my hand so that I could keep up on the lives of everyone I know (and some that I don’t know).  But the reality is, Facebook has opened a whole new world for me.  You may have seen the post that has gone around Facebook:

Before Facebook, I always wanted to do “something” to help animals, but I never knew what I could do.  I looked into volunteering at my local SPCA, but discovered that my sensitive nature did not fit in with their program (I’d end up being a hoarder!).  Then, in the fall of 2011, Jack the Cat got lost at JFK airport.  I started following his story on his Facebook page.  On that page I “met” alot of people.  Alot of people who are just like me. People who want to help.  People who are the “voice for the voiceless.”  Just as the image above says, I have many friends without whom my life would be empty.  I’m now a part of this amazing organization that has given me an outlet for my passion to help.   Some of my “real life” friends get it.  Some of them don’t, and that’s okay – I’m sure they have things in their lives that I just don’t get either!  Most of them at least respect what I’m a part of and what it means to me.

There are many who do much more than I do when it comes to the rescue world.  Most of my contributions occur behind the scenes.  That was not the case with one of the wonderful people I’ve  “met” along this journey – Birdy Sims.  Birdy was right out there on the front lines trying to help kitties.  Over the years, she saved countless kitties – either by taking them in herself or finding happy homes for them.  Just recently, she asked for our (Imagine Home) help in finding homes for three kitties that had been horrible situations (Kira, Katy and Chester – you can find them in our Adoptables Album on Facebook)

In addition to rescuing kitties, Birdy also loved to participate in transports.  Just yesterday, she planned to help transport Larry and Astaire to their new forever home in Oklahoma.  She was so excited about it that she was planning her various doctors appointments around the transport!  Sadly, the universe had other plans.  Sometime in the early morning hours of January 12, 2013, Birdy passed away.  When we received the news from Birdy’s husband, Loren, we were heartbroken.  To say we were in shock would be putting it mildly.  When Kelly spoke with Loren, we received another shock – he still wanted to take the leg of the transport that Birdy had committed to doing.  Clearly, with so much on his mind, we were prepared to do whatever needed to be done to fill that leg, but Loren was adamant that he wanted, even needed, to do it.  We all agreed that if he was up to it, we couldn’t think of a better way to honor Birdy’s memory than to do what she loved best – helping kitties.

Today, my heart still aches.  It aches for Loren, for the rest of Birdy’s family and for all of her friends.  The outpouring of love for Birdy on her own Facebook page, as well as on the Imagine Home page, has been amazing and a testament to the woman Birdy was.  We are working on some things behind the scenes to honor Birdy, and her contribution to the rescue world.

Uncharacteristically, I just don’t have many of my own words, so I will leave you with this:

Unlike most days at the Rainbow Bridge, this day dawned cold and gray, damp as a swamp and as dismal as could be imagined. All of the recent arrivals had no idea what to think, as they had never experienced a day like this before. But the animals who had been waiting for their beloved people know exactly what was going on and started to gather at the pathway leading to The Bridge to watch.

It wasn’t long before an elderly animal came into view, head hung low and tail dragging. The other animals, the ones who had been there for a while, knew what his story was right away, for they had seen this happen far too often. He approached slowly, obviously in great emotional pain, but with no sign of injury or illness.

Unlike all of the other animals waiting at The Bridge, this animal had not been restored to youth and made healthy and vigorous again. As he walked toward The Bridge, he watched all of the other animals watching him. He knew he was out of place here and the sooner he could cross over, the happier he would be. But, alas, as he approached The Bridge, his way was barred by the appearance of an Angel who apologized, but told him that he would not be able to pass.

Only those animals who were with their people could pass over Rainbow Bridge. With no place else to turn, the elderly animal turned towards the fields before The Bridge and saw a group of other animals like him, also elderly and infirm. They weren’t playing, but rather simply lying on the green grass, forlornly staring out at the pathway leading to The Bridge. And so, he took his place among them, watching the pathway and waiting.

One of the newest arrivals at The Bridge didn’t understand what he had just witnessed and asked one of the animals that had been there for a while to explain it to him. “You see, that poor animal was a rescue. He was turned in to the rescue just as you see him now, an older animal with his fur graying and his eyes clouding. He never made it out of the rescue and passed on with only the love of his rescuer to comfort him as he left his earthly existence. Because he had no family to give his love to, he has no one to escort him across The Bridge.”

The first animal thought about this for a minute and then asked, “So what will happen now?” As he was about to receive his answer, the clouds suddenly parted and the gloom lifted. Approaching The Bridge could be seen a single person and among the older animals, a whole group was suddenly bathed in a golden light and they were all young and healthy again, just as they were in the prime of life. “Watch, and see,” said the second animal.

A second group of animals from those waiting came to the pathway and bowed low as the person neared. At each bowed head, the person offered a pat on the head or a scratch behind the ears. The newly restored animals fell into line and followed her towards The Bridge. They all crossed The Bridge together.

“What happened?” “That was a rescuer”, The animals you saw bowing in respect were those who found new homes because of her work. They will cross when their new families arrive. Those you saw restored were those who never found homes. When a rescuer arrives, they are allowed to perform one, final act of rescue. They are allowed to escort those poor animals that they couldn’t place on earth across The Rainbow Bridge.”

~Anonymous~

I believe in my heart that, on the morning of January 12, 2013, Birdy Sims performed her last act of rescue.  Rest in Peace Birdy, you will be missed.

<stef>

Happy New Year!!!

Three little words, yet they always seem to signify something BIG.  Out with the old – in with the new. A chance to start over; to begin again.  The opportunity to learn from the past, while dashing headlong into the future.  It can be scary and and exciting all at the same time.  The most important thing to remember is that, together, we can do many great things.  Let’s take a look at what we’ve accomplished already….

October 31, 2012 – we went “live” and started the page on Facebook.  Nine women who, a year ago, were strangers posting on a Facebook page.  Over the course of that year, we became friends (confidants, sisters, littermates, etc…).  Whatever you want to call us, we are now ONE.  One group of feline loving folks who have a common vision.  Some of us have been fortunate enough to move our friendship from behind the computer screen to real life.  Coming up later in 2013, we all will ALL be together (can’t wait to share THAT story with you all).  And, since October, our litter has grown by one.  Each one of us has strengths that we bring to this group.  We work well together.  But we alone are not Imagine Home.    Without you, we cannot do the many great things we envision for the future.   Without you, we are just ten women with a vision, but an inability to make that vision a reality.  YOU are Imagine Home.  We are ALL Imagine Home.  (To learn about your Imagine Home admins, please click here https://www.facebook.com/notes/imagine-home/your-imagine-home-team/479706148740594)

November 2012 – things really started taking off.  Sign up sheets and secure databases were created to keep track of volunteers.  We can’t do what we do without volunteers.  Volunteers are the lifeblood of this organization.  If you’re interested in being a volunteer driver for us, you can sign up here.  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dER6LWY2dlpQY1g2N2tMVWZMN3N1VGc6MQ

Maybe you’re not able to drive at this time, but you have some room in your home and your heart to help a kitty by becoming a foster?  You can sign up here to do that. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dE9weUM5UXM0RjYzX09ka3VpeDhUQWc6MA

We also created a database to keep track of member recommended rescue organizations.  Do you volunteer somewhere and want to include them in our list?  Maybe you just LOVE the rescue where your newest family member adopted you?  Add those organizations here https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dHMtOW56Mnl4ZkNlUFVMZURPblNjenc6MA

We also created an Adoptable Kitties album for those kitties that are Imagining a Home of their own.  Check it out here https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.484168658294343.115923.476095912434951&type=3   Have a kitty that you want to add to the album?  You send a picture of the kitty, with all of the pertinent information, to stefanie@imaginehome.org and we’ll add kitty to the album.  We just ask that you keep us posted on the status of kitty so that we can move kitty to the Happily Home album when they’ve adopted a new person to love on forever.

Behind the scenes, we started the process to become an official non-profit (501c3) organization.  We will definitely keep you posted on our progress on that front.

Our website was launched.  It’s still under construction, but you can go look at the pretty home page now, if you want  http://www.imaginehome.org/

Transport planning also kicked into high gear during November, with several kitties headed to their new homes in December!

December 2012 – kitties, kitties everywhere!!!  Events were launched for several Imagine Home planned transports (any transport that is requested directly through, and planned exclusively by, Imagine Home will have an Event launched on the Facebook page) and requests were put out for help with transports sponsored by other organizations.  Because of the amazing generosity of our volunteers, many kitties were able to get home this month.  Big Boy, Snow, Kristofur, Angel (fka Kibbles) and Henry – just to name a few.  But there are more still waiting to get home – and requests are coming in every single day.  To see a list of our pending transports, check here https://www.facebook.com/imaginehomeorg/events  But, don’t forget to check our page every day.  You never know when a request might come in for a leg on a transport for another group.  This is where we need the most help.  We need volunteers to sign up to drive, sometimes to keep a kitty overnight on an especially long trip and, most of all, to share, share, share the pending transports. I know we all think “but I don’t know anyone in that area” so we may not share.  However, you never know – one of your friends may see it and think “hey, Aunt Betty lives out that way, let me reshare this so she can see it”  We have seen it time and time again – social media really can be useful.  Let’s take advantage of it!!

Becca’s Corner was launched on the page also.  Keep an eye on the page throughout the week for helpful tips or fun posts/questions.

A Frequently Asked Questions note was started in December as well.  Check it out here https://www.facebook.com/notes/imagine-home/frequently-asked-questions/491435340901008  Do you have other questions?  Please send us a message, post on the page or email any admin.  We’ll be sure to answer you directly, and to also put the question and answer into this note.

So, what’s in store for 2013??

Welllll – As of today (the minute I’m writing this) we have 648 “likes” on the Imagine Home page.  Wow!  648 friends!!  Some old, some new, all amazing!!!  In 2 short months, we have grown by leaps and bounds.  If that’s what happens in two months, we can’t wait to see what happens by this time next year!  You can help by sharing our page with your friends, family, coworkers, neighbors – anyone you can think of that has access to a computer, smartphone or tablet!  We need to keep the momentum going so that we can grow.  The bigger we are, the more kitties we can help.

We’d also like your feedback.  How are we doing?  Is there anything we can do to improve?  Is there anything else you’d like to see us add to our list of lofty goals?  Of course we can’t be everything to everyone, but we’re always open to suggestions, thoughts and comments.

We’re going to continue our pursuit of non-profit status.  We’re going to continue reaching out to rescues, shelters, veterinarians to help where we can (and of course to solicit help where it may be needed).  We’re going to keep coming back to you, our friends, to help us build our network of drivers, fosters, recommended rescues/shelters/vets.  We’re going to continue to research topics that might be of interest to you and pass that information along.

So, whatever you’re doing tonight – this last night of 2012 – we all just want to wish you a very Happy and Healthy New Year.

See you in 2013!!!

<stef>

Everyone wants a fairy tail ending when bringing a new cat or kitten home. Preparing your house and cat proofing the kitty’s new digs are a must before bringing your new kitty home. This includes choosing a neutral and quiet room to set up as an introduction room for your new kitty. Making sure the cats start out on neutral territory is key. This means not placing the new kitty in a favorite area of your current kitty. This will help prevent jealousy or hostility towards the new kitty.

Also it’s important to make sure your new addition has been checked out by a veterinarian. New kitties may have fleas or other parasites that could be harmful to your resident kitty. After your new kitty is healthy the next step is exchanging blankets or toys between the kitties so they can get used to each others scents.

It’s key to let the kitties meet between the doors and sniff each other out and engage in forms of play underneath the doors. Cats use hissing and meows as a way of greeting and communication. Hissing is a part of cats expressing their feelings and is typical behavior between cats just meeting each other.

The next step is reinforcing positive behaviors and interactions between the cats with their favorite treats or wet food. Feed the cats together in a neutral area as an introduction to one another. For the introduction the new cat can be placed in a cat carrier or a dog crate during the initial introduction period.

Once the foundation has been set it’s time to introduce the kitties. It’s key to introduce the cats slowly and watch their reactions to one another. Make sure to reward positive behavior with treats and play time. It may take upwards of a month before your cats are comfortable with each other. It’s key to be patient when introducing a new cat into your home and with patience comes the reward of a lifetime of love.

Interested in reading more?  Check out this article!

Jess

Thanksgiving.  A uniquely American holiday.  And, in true American fashion, the historical meaning of the day has been thrown aside and the day is now just a prelude to the “official start of the holiday shopping season” – Black Friday.  AND – in even more typical American fashion, Black FRIDAY now starts on Thursday – some stores are opening as early as 8pm on Thanksgiving evening.  *sigh*

Believe it or not, I’m not here to bash people who are into Black Friday (or Black Thursday and a half) shopping.  Having worked retail for many years, I simply refuse to participate in the madness.  A local garden center is also not opening until 9am and has a great sale on fake, prelit Christmas trees that starts at 5pm (Friday, not today).  I think I will head over there tomorrow evening and see what I can find since my tree definitely needs to be replaced because some furry creatures have seen fit to nibble on some of the wires of the tree I have now.  Which leads me to the real reason for this post.

Thanksgiving.  A day to reflect on our blessings and be thankful for the things that we HAVE, not the things that we WANT (even if they are on sale!).  And what better place to start being thankful that for our furry little family members?  Don’t get me wrong, I am thankful for my two legged family members also.  But, if you’re a cat person (or even a dog person), you know that the love and affection of those four legged furballs is sometimes what keeps us sane.

I currently have two – Molly and Drake.  I love them and they love me.  I can’t exactly say they love each other, though.  I think Drake sees Molly as a living breathing catnip toy.  I think Molly sees Drake as a furry, fat annoyance that Mommy should have left at the shelter.  They do get along sometimes, though.  Here’s proof.  Although, you can see that Molly has that look of annoyance on her face.

Anyway, I digress.  If you know anything about me, you know that I have some ADD tendencies.  I start one thing and then I’m off to something else (kind of like the “kitty room” in my house – trying to get it painted – spackled holes in May.  Yup, that’s as far as I’ve gotten).  So, I started this post with the idea of talking about Thanksgiving.  And what I’m thankful for.  And how that relates to Imagine Home.  Ok.  Back on track.

So, let me tell you about my kitties.  Yes, there’s a point to this, I promise.  I’m going to start with Patches.  Here’s my pretty girl helping me decorate for Thanksgiving in 2010, which would end up being her last Thanksgiving.

In January of 2007, my mom adopted Patches from the SPCA.  See, my mom was very sick and she lived alone.  She thought that the company of a kitty might help her to feel better.  So, the day my mom got out of the hospital, she and I went to the SPCA and Patches strolled into our lives.  The application was submitted and the next day my cousin Kyle took my mom back to pick Patches up and bring her to her new home.  Sadly, about a month after she came home, Patches started to get sick.  Because my mom was sick, she couldn’t care for a sick kitty, so Patches came to live with me (yes, there’s a clause that says the kitty has to go back to the SPCA if you can’t keep it anymore, but I knew that would be a death sentence for this pretty girl and I wasn’t going to let that happen).  It took almost another full year to find out what was causing Patches’ problems.  In July 2008 she was diagnosed with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia.  I was devastated.  But I was determined to do whatever I could for her.  She went on chemo meds (pills) and steroids and we made the trek to the vet every three months for blood work and follow ups (did I mention how much she hated the car ride??).  There were up days and there were down days.  And, sadly, on February 4, 2011, she lost her battle and I had to let her go.  I curled up in a ball and I cried for days.  Not only had I lost my precious little girl, but, in some ways I lost my mom all over again since my mom was the reason Patches had come into my life.  At that time I said “NEVER AGAIN”  I was adamant that I would NEVER go through that pain, that incredible feeling of loss and heartbreak.  I was NOT going to bring another kitty home.

On May 31, 2011 I went back to the SPCA with the intention of donating food. I had alot of food left from Patches and I had some “points” at Kmart that were expiring, so I used them to buy a bunch of dry/canned food to donate.  I dropped the food off and decided to go in and play with the kitties in the kitty room.  You know, just to get them out of the cages and give them some love.  I was NOT getting another cat.  I went through the room letting kitties out one by one to get some love and some exercise.  And then…..BAM….I fell in love.  Molly was the prettiest grey kitty I had ever seen.  And she just reached that paw out of the cage and meowed at me and I was DONE!  I hightailed it out of there so fast the folks at the front desk probably wondered what the heck was going on.  Remember, I was NOT getting a kitty.

I spent the next few hours ruminating on the image of this beautiful girl reaching out to me.  But, I had a dilemma.  I was leaving for a short vacation in a few days.  I didn’t think it would be fair to bring a kitty home and then leave it. (yes, I was starting to cave).  My facebook friends weighed in with comments ranging from “don’t do it” to “you know you’ll regret it if you don’t get her”.  I called the SPCA and asked if I could pay the adoption fee, but not pick her up until I came back from vacation.  They said “no, we need the cage”  We need the cage????  Fear in my heart that if Molly wasn’t adopted, they would put her down.  ACK!!  I could NOT let that happen.  I called my dad “Daddy,” I said (yes, when I want something I still call him daddy!).  “Would you mind letting a kitty stay with you for a few days while I go away?”  He agreed that Molly could stay there.  So, the next morning, when they opened, I was back at the SPCA to put in my application for Molly.  I went into the kitty room to say good morning and to grab her card for the adoption folks and BAM!  There was Drake, in a cage caddy corner from Molly.  Now, I hadn’t seen him the day before because I skedaddled out of there so fast.  And what did he do?  Stuck his little paw out of the cage toward me and meowed.  *gasp, thud*  Guess who’s taking two kitties home?  We let them out of their cages together to make sure there would be no drama and all seemed fine.  The information they had said that both were owner surrenders – Drake due to allergies and Molly due to her family moving.  The one shelter worker told me that Drake had been adopted and returned twice.  That sealed the deal for me.  I was afraid he wouldn’t get another chance.  So, off to the front desk I went with two cards to put in my applications.  Because both were already spayed/neutered, there was no hold time, I could take them both home that day.  Of course, remember what I did the day before?  Donated all my food.  Ooops.  So, I asked them to give me a couple hours so I could run to Petsmart and stock up on food, litter, carriers, etc….$450 later I was home unloading my car and then headed back to pick up my babies!  Here they are waiting to go home.

So, why am I torturing you with the story of Molly and Drake (names they came with, but I didn’t change because I thought they sounded cool!)?  What does the story of Molly and Drake have to do with Thanksgiving?  Well, I’m thankful that they’re in my life.  I’m thankful that they chose me to be their new Momma.  I’m thankful that I changed my mind about NEVER bringing another kitty into my home and my heart.  I’m thankful that Patches brought them to me (yes, I believe that she had a hand, er paw, in this).

Ask anyone who know me and they’ll tell you that I love my kitties more than I like most people.  They’ll tell you that I structure my life around them.  Recently the Northeast was hammered by Hurricane/Superstorm Sandy.  We lost power for a couple of days at my house.  I didn’t want to stay home alone in the dark another day, so I packed up the kitties and we went to my dad’s.  People have said “you took your cats too?”  Um, yes, of course.  You wouldn’t leave your kids home alone in a house with no electric or heat, would you?  Nope,  neither would I.  Does that make me a crazy cat lady?  Maybe.  Am I ok with that?  Absolutely.

A few weeks ago, I had a procedure done and was camped out on my sofa for two days.  This is how I spent those days (that’s me under the quilt).  They barely got off me for two days.  They knew I wasn’t feeling well and they snuggled in for the long haul.

Am I thankful for my kitties?  You betcha!!

Are you still wondering what any of this has to do with Imagine Home??  Sorry.  My ADD really got the best of me – and when I start telling a story, well…..

Imagine Home.  Imagine. Home.  There are countless kitties out there who are doing just that – imagining home.  Some are safe in foster care and loved by some of the most amazing people out there (fosters have the biggest hearts, I admire them so much), but still dreaming of a furever home to call their own.  Some are stuck in shelters, wondering how they got there.  Dreaming, imagining, what it would be like to have a human, soft blankets and a warm lap to call their own.  Some are still wandering the streets hoping that some kind soul will take them in and give them a plate of food and a warm place to spend the night.

How can we help?  Well, with  YOUR help, we can grow.  That’s the first step.  The more people who join us, the more reach we will have.  The more reach we have, the more kitties who will benefit.  Right now we’re helping arrange transports.  We’re sharing stories of adoptable kitties.  We’re building databases of user recommended rescues, veterinarians, transporters, fosters and general helpful information.  We want to be the “go-to” place for the the rescue world.  But we can’t do it alone.  We need you to help.  We need you to share us with your friends.  We need you to let us know what you know.  Do you have a favorite vet?  Tell us.  Does a certain rescue hold a piece of your heart?  Please, share!  Do you know of a kitty who is looking for a forever home?  Absolutely send us that information to post.  (Just a disclaimer – right now there are so many groups that post Death Row kitties that we are going to stay out of that realm for now.  Of course we want to see all of those kitties get home too, but we have to focus on what we know we can do and do well).

Think about your own furbabies.  Are you THANKFUL that they’re in your life?  Do you wish that you could do more to honor them (and taking in more right now is not an option for you?)  Have you always thought “I wish I could do more?”  Well, you can!  WE ALL CAN!  That’s what this group is all about.  Each person doing what they can.

So, on this day of thanks (here in the US), I am very thankful.  I’m thankful for the group of women who decided to start this group and allow me to work with them; I’m thankful for all of our friends who have joined us on this journey; I’m thankful for the roof over my head and the kitties who rule the roost; I’m thankful for my family and friends who support me in everything I do.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world: indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” -Margaret Mead

Happy Thanksgiving, my friends

<scm>

Imagine Home came about by accident, or providence, ultimately through the tragedy of Jack the cat. We were brought together to form an organization to help rescued cats. Over time, we found that we had formed an unbreakable bond above and beyond the organization; a bond that can only become stronger as we are joined by more like minded people.

We have many goals, and our dreams are big, but we also understand our limitations. Without our members and volunteers, we would be nothing but another group of women sharing their lives. We must start small, and rely on those who truly want to help.

The animal rescue world is massive, with many varied venues, and we hope to create a common place where one can find all the resources they need to facilitate the rescue and adoptions of cats.

Our Long-Term Vision: